We already know that Mercedes is planning to offer a G55 AMG - we’ve got spy shots to prove it - but now new spy images suggest that the company is also working on an even more powerful G-Class: the G65 AMG. The bad news is that it will be limited to only 200 units, each carrying a price tag of € 250,000, or about $326,500 at the current exchange rates.
What makes this car really special is the engine found under the hood: a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 with 612 HP and 737 lb-ft of peak torque - previously used in the S65 AMG. The model will be distinguished by two coolers in the front bumper, one placed at each side, and a more aggressive exterior design language. Mercedes does promise that the new G65 AMG will significantly improve on fuel consumption, but we’re guessing anyone willing to purchase this vehicle will still need their own oil field to be able to enjoy it at full speed.
The upcoming Mercedes G65 AMG is expected to make its world debut at either the Detroit Auto Show in January 2012 or at the Geneva Car Show in March 2012.
Spy shots for the BMW M6 Coupe are splattered all over the internet at this point, but now our spy photographers have moved on to the drop top version of the sports car, which looks to be just about ready for its closeup. This near-final M6 Convertible caught testing looks stunning in gray, a change up from the black M6 Coupe testers pictured before. Its debut should a few months after the M6 Coupe’s official debut in March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show.
As with the coupe version, the M6 Convertible will be distinguished by a larger air dam, a lower bumper, a new bullish nose, and a bulging bonnet with air intakes positioned at each corner. At the rear, it will receive new quad exhaust pipes, a wider track, and a new bumper with an integrated rear diffuser.
In terms of power, BMW has opted to transfer the turbocharged 4.4 liter V8 - first used in the M5 - over to the M6. This engine will provide the sports car with 600 HP and about 550 lb-ft of torque. up from the M5’s 560 HP. Those extra ponies won’t matter as much since the top speed as been electronically limited to 155 mph. The 0 to 60 mph sprint will be made in under 4.5 seconds.
UPDATE 12/23/2011: BMW has confirmed that the most powerful version in the 6-Series line-up - the M6 Convertible - will be making its world debut in just a few weeks at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, along with the ActiveHybrid 3.
The anticipation for the future generation Porsche Boxster is gaining momentum with spy shots aplenty of the sports car doing its rounds out on the streets. Unfortunately, any interior shots have been obsolete, but AutoExpress was able to snag one just in time to keep that momentum going. Their spy shot illustrates the fact that the future Porsche Boxster will be taking a page out of the Panamera and 911’s new updated interiors. The interior will feature an extended transmission tunnel with a bank of switches located behind the gearlever. These switches control the electric folding roof and the PASM active dampers, among other things. The satellite navigation system will receive a new, larger color screen and the seat will get softer leathers and higher grade metals and plastics.
The 2012 Porsche Boxster will be built on a platform that is longer than the current one. This lengthening is vital to the lineup if Porsche wants to be able to squeeze in the future baby Boxster. As far as power goes, the Boxster will use a slightly revised version of the 310-HP 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine, but rumors suggest that it might receive an advanced four-cylinder engine producing about as much horsepower as the current 2.9-liter six.
Along with the engines that are expected to be carried over, expect the short-throw six-speed manual and Porsche’s seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission to also carry over. The PDK works well, but we do have some complaints. The transmission can be somewhat awkward to operate in manual mode when using the steering-wheel-mounted buttons, not to mention the paddles can feel a bit cheap. We hope that this is corrected on the next-generation model, and with the updated interior, that may very well be the case.
Expect the future Porsche Boxster to be revealed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
We’ve already touched on the report that the next-generation Audi R8 has been scheduled for a 2014 release (in Europe) with rumors circulating that we’ll be seeing a facelift version of the supercar before that time comes. Now, we can put the rumors to rest, because according to CAR, a face lifted version of the R8 is now being penned for late next year as a 2013 model.
As can be expected with a facelift model, Audi is only opting for minor tweaks on both the exterior and interior of the car. It appears that the 2013 R8 will - for the first time - carry a refreshed grille that was first introduced last year by the e-Tron Spyder Concept. New headlights are also in the plans, as is a new S-tronic dual clutch gearbox, which replaces the R-tronic sequential manual gearbox on the current model.
Some other prominent changes expected to be made on the face lifted R8 are the use of Audi’s latest MMI interface system, an increased use of carbon fiber to cut down the car’s weight and, most importantly, an improved engine output from the current model’s 525-horsepower output all to the way to the neighborhood of 540 horsepower.
This is the first time that these details have been divulged, so we’re more than curious to see how the facelift model of the iconic R8 will look and feel like before Audi ushers in the next generation model in 2014.
Speaking of the 2014 Audi R8, Car has learned that the new model will carry an evolutionary styling theme with an absence of the current model’s sideblades and manual transmission. The body will switch from 100% aluminum to a multi-material combination, including a carbon fiber rear firewall. The new R8 will also have a transmission tunnel and the B-posts that will double as rollover protection elements. These changes will allow for a drop of about 24 kilos (about 53 lbs) on the car’s overall weight, allowing the R8 to be about 13% stiffer. Power will still come from a 450 HP naturally aspirated V8 engine for the base model, but the V10 will get a power boost to about 550 HP.
The new generation Audi R8 will be followed by the new R8 Spyder just one year after its launch, so expect the drop top sometime in 2015.
Volvo recently unveiled the first teaser image for their new five-door hatchback that will compete with models like the BMW 1-Series and the Audi A3. Up until recently, the prototype seen testing was rumored to be called the V30, but along with the teaser image came an announcement from Volvo’s CEO, Stefan Jacoby, stating that it would officially be called the V40. The small taste of the teaser image simply wasn’t enough for us, so our spy photographers went on the hunt to catch the new hatchback testing in winter conditions.
Jacoby also announced that the new V40 will be replacing two existing models: the S40 and the V50. It’s still unclear if the C30 will be replaced or if it will be deleted from the lineup altogether because Jacoby said that it would be replaced with a new model, but that model would have more than three doors.
It is believed that the new V40 will be a smaller version of the V60, so expect to see a prominent grille, a sloping roofline, a tailgate-mounted spoiler, and distinctive taillights.
After the V40, Volvo will also be bringing a XC40 and rumors of an S40 sedan for the Chinese market have also surfaced.
